Empire Falls
by Angst Equinox
Summary: The apocalypse has come and gone, Raven scrambles to save what she can But is she actually going to be thanked? Dark. RobRae. Possible SladeRob and SladeRae
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

**The Skies will Burn…… **

I was Ten years old when I told my mother I no longer wanted to live.

**The Heavens shall Fall……**

She scooped me up in her arms and stared into my eyes, asking why?

**Flesh will become stone……**

I told her that as long as I lived the world will in danger; that as long as I lived Father will come. Bringing the end of all things mortal.

**And The sun will set…… **

She stared at me and spoke, all life here in Azarath was precious. Especially mine. That here… here, of all places, people knew the value of life. Even the greatest emperor to the meanest beggar knew that whatever he felt, understood and loved was temporary….. cherished it, and mourned when it was gone. They all knew that they had to die, so they knew the value of life….

**Never to rise again! **

I just looked at her and slowly shook my head. Past. Future. Present. They are etched in stone.

Her answer haunts me to this day.

**iT hAs bEgUn! **

"_But we can Hope." _

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

_Azarath……… Metrion……… Zilthos………_

_Center yourself……… do not think……… forget who you are……… Peace………._

**Daughter……**

_Azarath……… Metrion……… Zilthos………_

**There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. **

_Center yourself………… _

**There is no center in chaos. **

_Do not think……_

**Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. **

_Azarath………… Metrion………… Zilthos…………… _

**HaHaHa! The reign of mortals has ended! **

_Forget who you are…………. _

**Foolish girl; did you think you can blow the candles and wish it away? **

_Peace………… _

**No, child, Oblivion. **

_Nevermore. _

**It has only begun! **

"………"

"………"

I have saved what I can.

"………"

I have dammed all. Can I truly think it is redemption? No. This is only the beginning; I exist, with the last two survivors of the Apocalypse…… my apocalypse.

"………"

The end has come at last. Did I really think I could blow the candles and wish it away?

"………"

…….Yes. I have lived in the Present for far too long, it is time to face the future.

"………"

The last two survivors of the apocalypse. Polar opposites; I don't doubt they hate me for saving them.

"………"

Robin and Slade. Now I have to spend eternity with them.

"………"

Maybe I should have died…… maybe not.


	2. Cogito Ergo Sum

**_Cogito Ergo Sum _**

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Cogito _

Cogito ergo sum……I think, therefore I am.

I thought I could get a deal from a demon lord.

I thought I could get away for damming the planet.

I thought I could get away for damming _her._

Cogito ergo sum. I think therefore I am.

"Like Father, Like daughter… Raven." She smiled. A cold and calculating smile.

"Oh, you should hope not, Slade….."

"……." I pause to study my surroundings. It appeared to a manor of some description. Heavily shadowed…… _moving _shadows. Clearly an attempt to intimidate me. I focus on my _savior. _Time for a witty comeback.

"Told you, it was inevitable."

"Told you, he won't give what you want." I clench my fleshless jaw.

"Foolish girl, what do you think I want?"

"Everything. Slade... "She stirred "Told you so."

"_What _exactly do you know, Girl?" I tried mounting derision into it. Good effort, but I sensed she _did_ know everything….. Saved or not, the look in her eyes promised pain.

She flicked her hand. A careless motion. Though the effect it had was far from careless.

"Ahhh!" I was on my knees. Pain coursed though my veins.

"Hmm… If I were you, I won't mash my jaw that much."

_Eh? _

"Eh? No witty comeback? I expected more…"

"Wait a minute here, you're…?"

"Reading your mind."

"Damm."

Another surge of pain.

"I may have saved you, Slade…."

'Ah…..Aaaa!"

"But that doesn't mean I've forgiven you."

"_Oh, fuck….." _

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Ergo_

_Sometimes you're just so tired…… _

"I never thought you would be grateful, but……"

_Feel weak…… _

"**Grateful? **You killed them! You killed them all!"

_When you feel weak, you just want to give up…… _

"It had to be done."

_But you gotta go one…… _

"Nothing had to be done! I trusted you, Raven! We all trusted you!"

_But you don't know the way …… _

"It had to be done. Father would have done a lot worse."

_But there's no other away… _

"Worse? What could have been worse?"

_Can't give up…… _

"Robin…."

_Never gave up….._

"I found Beastboy… in the Terra cave, turned to stone….. Shattered…."

_Till the roof comes down…._

"Robin…."

_Till the lights go out… _

"I found Cyborg. Piece by piece. Someone had torn out his heart….."

_Till the ground comes up…. _

"I found Star…. She was dying, I don't know why….. She told me who did it all….. She still wanted to be your friend….."

_You gotta go one….. _

"Robin…. I……"

_Feel weak….." _

"Why, Raven… **Why?**"

_Just want to give up….._

"You don't want to know, Robin. You don't want to know."

_Just want to give up…._

"Why…?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

_Sum _

Guilt. Pale blue cloaked and baleful.

"You didn't have to do it…."

Intellect. Yellow cloaked and indifferent.

"It had to be done."

Sadness. Grey cloaked and tearful.

"No!"

"Yes."

"Enough!" I shout. My emotions are a confused mess; even my presence couldn't soothe them.

"Enough?" Intellect shouts at me. "It is over! There is nothing left to have enough!"

I glare at her. Rage appears.

"Haha! Rage has consumed you all!"

"No it hasn't!"

"Yes it has!" Rage sticks a tongue out. Being the most powerful emotion didn't stop her from being so… childish.

"Shut up! I am trying to accomplish something here!"

"You're deluding yourself. It's over. You always knew it will be."  
"I'm still alive. I'm still in control. I've saved Robin."

Rage smiled. "_And _Slade…."

"And Slade."

"For how long?"

"For as long as possible."

"No very long then." I felt rage flare up. I fixed her a four eyed glare.

"We shall see. We shall see….."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Author's note _

_Changed Title to Empire Falls. Update rate will improve as Exams are over. _


	3. Late Night

**_Late Night _**

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It's one of those nights, you know? Dark and Stormy

No, that wasn't an adequate description. It poured. It poured like some ancient, forgotten, angry… yes, very angry rain god thundered in the clouds. Draining it's might into one single storm.

"……" Sorry. In a night like this you get an urge to wax poetic.

Where was I? Ah, yes: Dark and stormy night. The lights were out. It was as dark as the devil's soul….

"……." And I was in my Superman Boxers. Someone up there likes me.

Extremely out of character; but even boy wonders need to raid the fridge now and then. It's one of those habits you desperately try not pick up…. But that can be hard when you live with Beastboy.

"Aaahh!" Trip. Fall. Crash.

**Craaaackkk! **

Damm. Starfire's 'vase'. She adored it….. Sauvé, boy wonder. Very Sauvé.

"Star liked that one."

I bit back a girly scream. Under the circumstances, it was a proud feat. Raven's voice can be _very _creepy. Oh, and Dark and Stormy night.

"She told me it was 'ginky'…."

"Eh…. How long were you sitting there?"  
"Enough to admire you're, ah, _fashionable _wear…." I cringe. Oh-oh…. This will do wonders for my 'great leader' image.

"Its pitch dark….. You're imagining things!"

"If that was the case, the world would be ending…….. And I don't need light to see."

"Really? That isn't in the database….."

"Well night sight doesn't help me kick Jinx's butt….."

"Maybe that's because you've never kicked Jinx's butt?" I could _feel _her glare.

"….. Maybe."

The lights come on…. Darkness lifted….. And everyone could now see me in my boxers.

It had other effects too. Least of which seeing Star's ginky vase laying in ruin at my feet….. But what really attracted my attention was Raven's dress. Satin. Perfectly respectful but oh, so decadent….. Well, at least that answers the question whether she sleeps in her uniform or not.

"Satin? Never though you'd go for a silk nightgown….."

"So? Being a Goth doesn't mean I want to be uncomfortable…"

"Yeah….."

"…. So, what's _you're_ excuse?" For the boxer, she meant.

"….. Beastboy gave it for a Christmas present." I shrug. "One of his gags. For some reason I didn't destroy it….. And, you know, Mumbo _had _somehow managed to destroy all my pants….."

She sighed "Mumbo. Cinderblock. Overload. Plasmus. It's been a busy day…… you know; when the three of them work together; what it means….?" I grit my teeth. Of course I did!

"_Slade." _

She sighs yet again. "Yes. He'll be making a big reentrance soon….." She slumped.

"…… Something wrong?"

"My. Body. Aches."

"You handled yourself well. Not once did you get thrown into a brick wall!" She gives me a deadpan look.

"I didn't say my body ached because of _combat._"

"Oh…." I shift uncomfortably. What _did _she mean?

"………"  
"…….."

"So….. What are you going to do about the vase?"  
"Ah….." Good Question. "I'll think of something." She smiled, bleakly.

"OK……"   
"So….. What were you doing?"  
"Reading."

"In the dark?"

"I told you…. I don't need light to see."

"But do you prefer to read in the dark?" I pressed on.

"……Never."

"Uh-Uh?"

"Just….. Never, Robin. I don't prefer the dark."

"…….."

She sighed yet again. "Slade……"  
"What about him?"

"Something bad is going to happen, Robin….. I can _feel _it."

"…… nothing is going to happen."

"Don't be so sure."

"……"  
"……"

"So…… what were you reading?"

"TS Elliot."

She gets up. Moves for the exit.

"……" I decide not to stop her."


End file.
